Class of 2022

[SeanPizzle]

OMD. I saw them in Brighton, England, a couple of weeks ago (great show, Scritti Politti opened) and have tickets to one of their Royal Albert Hall gigs London in March (that's part of the reason why I am waiting until April to pull the plug - I currently live in Europe and it is easier to get to UK from Germany than US).

I'm planning on going to at least four of their shows in the USA, while I also do a road trip across the USA visiting family and friends I haven't seen in several years: St Petersburg, FL; Austin, TX; Oakland, CA and Los Angeles. The venue in Austin is where they film the Austin City Limits show; Los Angeles (their last US show) is at the Greek Theater, a beautiful outdoor smallish venue in the hills near Pasadena.

I lived in the LA area in 1989 when the iconic Depeche Mode, Thomas Dolby and OMD concert played at the Rose Bowl - unfortunately I missed it. So, I am now trying to make up for my un-misspent youth

Awesome! I might get tix for that Oakland show for my wife.

 

[SeanPizzle]

I almost became part of Class of 2021 today.

I reached a point of corporate frustration in our legal department to sign a simple letter presented to them 7 weeks ago for a contract extension that will enable many millions of revenue. So much feet dragging and now the contract wont be renewed on time and there will be cascading effects that I will spend the next two or three months unraveling. My BS bucket runneth over. I literally grabbed my laptop and a 5 pound sledge and was intent on dispatching that laptop like an Office Space fax machine. Saw my wife in the driveway just prior and she talked me off the ledge. So I keep waiting because there are $ milestones.

Ugh, 131 more days. I'm hoping I can make it.

 

[caninelover]

I almost became part of Class of 2021 today.

I reached a point of corporate frustration in our legal department to sign a simple letter presented to them 7 weeks ago for a contract extension that will enable many millions of revenue. So much feet dragging and now the contract wont be renewed on time and there will be cascading effects that I will spend the next two or three months unraveling. My BS bucket runneth over. I literally grabbed my laptop and a 5 pound sledge and was intent on dispatching that laptop like an Office Space fax machine. Saw my wife in the driveway just prior and she talked me off the ledge. So I keep waiting because there are $ milestones.

Ugh, 131 more days. I'm hoping I can make it.

Been in very similar situations as this and I understand your frustration. I too will be happy to leave all this behind.

I have a new final date as my backfill has been hired but won't start until January 10th. My new end date will be Friday January 21st, so I am almost there. But this last stretch is really excruciating!

 

[deserat]

OMD brings back a lot of memories. I discovered them in high school after If You Leave caught my attention in Pretty in Pink. A few of their songs like Secret and Dreaming captured how I felt about a girl I was smitten with during those years.
Looks like they're coming to town in May. I may have to go see them myself and drag the missus along to reminisce and tell her stories about my high school crush. She loves hearing stories of my dorky years.

Dorky? Nothing dorky about OMD or the music from that time. Concert was a bunch of late 50s-early 60s jumping up and down, dancing, clapping and singing along like we were all teenagers again. FUN!

Break-I was in UK, so the songs that were the most popular from this band are different from the ones popular in the USA. If you leave was a US hit, not so much a UK hit. I personally do not like that song from them much and prefer their older songs (Messages, Electricity, Maid of Orleans, Talking Loud and Clear, Enola Gay, Locomotion, and then their album Dazzle Ships which was very avant garde when it came out). The story behind that song is a good one: John Hughes asked them to write a song for the movie "Pretty in Pink" and told them that Ducky would get the girl. They did movie preview tests and the girls hated that Ducky got the girl in the end, so they changed the ending so that the jock got the girl for the movie mass release. OMD had 24 hours to write a new song for the movie ending as the song they wrote did not fit the new ending, hence 'If you leave.' To me that song does not have some of the details nor harder edge unique aspects of the OMD sound, so it is pablum-like (much like a lot of music produced today and over auto-tuned with lots of wa-wa-wa). In any case, it is an interesting story on "the businesses" of movie and music making.

I think you will thoroughly enjoy the concert. They are truly professional and the sound and light/video show at the concert is great and well balanced (they have some excellent sound engineers and crew). Moreover, if you delve into their latest music, you will find they've gotten even better; I love their last three albums which they recorded when they decided to reconstitute the band decades after breaking up. They made a conscious decision not to just be their own cover band and are writing and recording great music that does a wonderful job of reflecting what they've learned as they've aged and traveled through life while demonstrating a more refined version of their 'sound.'. I think the creative tension between the two main band members produces better songs than either of them produced alone when they parted ways.

 

[Present Aside]

Just handed in my notice. Last day is 2/2/22, I wanted to make it April 1st, but the BS bucket has been overflowing for two years. Critical date for incentives is 1/1 but my daughter is getting married out of state in early January and I wanted to give them a little more time. Next 31 w*rkdays should be fun.

 

[caninelover]

Just handed in my notice. Last day is 2/2/22, I wanted to make it April 1st, but the BS bucket has been overflowing for two years. Critical date for incentives is 1/1 but my daughter is getting married out of state in early January and I wanted to give them a little more time. Next 31 w*rkdays should be fun.

Yay! Congrats.

 

[Jim59]

I handed in my retirement notice today. Officially 6th May but last working day will be mid-March. 24 working days left. No real emotion was felt after a career spanning over 40 years. That may come later. All my milestones are are being achieved. Thoroughly enjoyed my work but time now for my vocational freedom. I’ll take advantage of private medical insurance to get a few check-ups.

Looking forward to a few post retirement vacations and then planning my long distance cycles and hikes.

Campervan purchase may be on ice, unless the right van appears, until I hike a few Caminos in Spain.

 

[caninelover]

I handed in my retirement notice today. Officially 6th May but last working day will be mid-March. 24 working days left. No real emotion was felt after a career spanning over 40 years. That may come later. All my milestones are are being achieved. Thoroughly enjoyed my work but time now for my vocational freedom. I’ll take advantage of private medical insurance to get a few check-ups.

Looking forward to a few post retirement vacations and then planning my long distance cycles and hikes.

Campervan purchase may be on ice, unless the right van appears, until I hike a few Caminos in Spain.

Nice. Now that I have a final w*rking day of January 21st I can start my official countdown. 25 workdays left for me, including upcoming holidays.

 

[caninelover]

Word is starting to get out to my coworkers that I'm leaving Jan 21st. My team has known for awhile but other process partners I w*rk with are starting to hear. I'm getting alot of 'but you're too young!' responses. I just tell them you're never too young. Then there is the inevitable 'what will you do with your time' question. Sigh.

Some people can't fathom that not everyone wants to make w*rk the center of their identity and life.

 

[nhcycling]

Megacorp called back all Teleworkers w/in a 50 mile radius back to the Office starting in January. This means I’m now a hybrid worker with 2-3 days a week in the office after enjoying teleworking for 6+ years, mind you quite successful leading geographically dispersed teams and that doesn’t change. Time to rethink the retirement date ::cool smiley::

 

[SeanPizzle]

Megacorp called back all Teleworkers w/in a 50 mile radius back to the Office starting in January. This means I’m now a hybrid worker with 2-3 days a week in the office after enjoying teleworking for 6+ years, mind you quite successful leading geographically dispersed teams and that doesn’t change. Time to rethink the retirement date ::cool smiley::

I would tell them you are a COVID risk and that you arent comfortable being in office just yet. What are they going to do, fire you? That will take months.

 

[caninelover]

My megacorp is saying January as well but no specific date yet. I may need to be there for the two weeks I'm training my replacement but I figure that's easier to do in person and two weeks is no big deal.

I would also just tell them I'm a COVID risk and need to wait and see for awhile longer. Or just say no and and if they insist, then FIRE.

 

[caninelover]

I just realized...counting holidays until January 21st I have 18 w*rking days left.

OMG.

 

[Present Aside]

I just realized...counting holidays until January 21st I have 18 w*rking days left.

OMG.

Exciting!

 

[Jim59]

I just realized...counting holidays until January 21st I have 18 w*rking days left.

OMG.

Splendid

I finished up for 3 weeks Christmas holidays today ?

19 working days left in 2022.

After the first week, I’ll spend the remaining days doing a handover or just being available.

Officially last day is 6 May, but my last working day is 15 March.

 

[caninelover]

Splendid

I finished up for 3 weeks Christmas holidays today ?

19 working days left in 2022.

After the first week, I’ll spend the remaining days doing a handover or just being available.

Officially last day is 6 May, but my last working day is 15 March.

Yay! Getting super close for you as well Jim!

Yeah a couple of months ago I was still stressing about wrapping everything up with a nice bow tie. I realize that isn't going to happen in 18 working days so I will do what I can but am not stressing about what isn't done. I'll hand it over to my successor and then its all their problem

 

[ExPatKiwi]

Dropped Skyward1 as they appear to be jumping the gun and retiring this year.

roady-runner - Jan 2022
dadu007- - Jan 2022
oldmedic - Jan 2022
caninelover - Jan 2022
Escapevelocity - Feb 2022
kaudrey - Feb 2022
Ozinvestor - March 2022
Sean Pizzle - March 2022
Aiming_4_55 - March 2022
Dean56 - March 2022
Pompanobeach - April 2022
fassmac - April 2022
Goingcamping - April 2022
ejw93 - April 2022
Present Aside - April 2022
YVRRocketSurgery - April 2022
mmurphy111 - April 2022
cynicalbuthopeful - 1 May 2022
Jeffman52 - May 2022
GTP2022 - May 2022
Jim59 - 6 May 2022
nhcycling - June 2022
plex - June 2022
beernutzbob - June 2022
retire48in2018 - June 2022
Physics Guy - June 2022
Poopycat - June 2022
ImThinkin2019 June 2022
David3 - June 2022
Mrs & Mr Bustergordon - 30 June
Silent Walker - July 2022
CaliKid - September 2022
BGH1 - September 2022
firemediceric - October 2022
mountainsoft - December 2022
Panda Bear - XX 2022
Sam Cro - XX 2022
Dreams of Freedom - XX 2022
Callitaday - XX 2022
dd564 - XX 2022
Chris Texas - XX 2022
Bee4 - XX 2022
cyber888 - XX 2022
ecowtent-XX 2022
ExPatKiwi - XX 2022

ExPatKiwi now December 2022

 

[Bee4]

I am class of 2022. Your story feels so much like mine - b.s. I used to deal with as a matter course is practically unbearable now. Every few weeks there is another "the last straw". Hang in there!

 

[Bee4]

Maybe will go to Sept 1 2022 for my medicaire start. I already went to 30 hr.week last june. Might go hourly this winter with cobra until then.

 

[Bee4]

I handed in my retirement notice today. Officially 6th May but last working day will be mid-March. 24 working days left. No real emotion was felt after a career spanning over 40 years. That may come later. All my milestones are are being achieved. Thoroughly enjoyed my work but time now for my vocational freedom. I’ll take advantage of private medical insurance to get a few check-ups.

Looking forward to a few post retirement vacations and then planning my long distance cycles and hikes.

Campervan purchase may be on ice, unless the right van appears, until I hike a few Caminos in Spain.

Congrats. Have you found any EV campervans worth mentioning? Have you thought of outfitting one of the many EV trucks on the horizon?

 

[Romer]

I have 18 days left as well

On Vacation until Jan 10th. Full time (4 days a week) for 3 weeks and then part time for 3 weeks and then on vacation until it is all gone (late July). We work 10 hour days giving each weekend as a 3 day weekend. Not bad for a megacorp. Going Part time and picked the 3rd week of February to keep subsidized Insurance until late July (Vacation), then Cobra

 

[Romer]

I guess you are supposed to update this with your name, I never did

roady-runner - Jan 2022
dadu007- - Jan 2022
oldmedic - Jan 2022
caninelover - Jan 2022
Escapevelocity - Feb 2022
kaudrey - Feb 2022
Romer- Feb 2022
Ozinvestor - March 2022
Sean Pizzle - March 2022
Aiming_4_55 - March 2022
Dean56 - March 2022
Pompanobeach - April 2022
fassmac - April 2022
Goingcamping - April 2022
ejw93 - April 2022
Present Aside - April 2022
YVRRocketSurgery - April 2022
mmurphy111 - April 2022
cynicalbuthopeful - 1 May 2022
Jeffman52 - May 2022
GTP2022 - May 2022
Jim59 - 6 May 2022
nhcycling - June 2022
plex - June 2022
beernutzbob - June 2022
retire48in2018 - June 2022
Physics Guy - June 2022
Poopycat - June 2022
ImThinkin2019 June 2022
David3 - June 2022
Mrs & Mr Bustergordon - 30 June
Silent Walker - July 2022
CaliKid - September 2022
BGH1 - September 2022
firemediceric - October 2022
mountainsoft - December 2022
Panda Bear - XX 2022
Sam Cro - XX 2022
Dreams of Freedom - XX 2022
Callitaday - XX 2022
dd564 - XX 2022
Chris Texas - XX 2022
Bee4 - XX 2022
cyber888 - XX 2022
ecowtent-XX 2022
ExPatKiwi - XX 2022

 

[SeanPizzle]

Updating my date until June as there are a couple vesting dates worth sticking around. Or I will rage-quit in January. Definitely one of those two.

roady-runner - Jan 2022
dadu007- - Jan 2022
oldmedic - Jan 2022
caninelover - Jan 2022
Escapevelocity - Feb 2022
kaudrey - Feb 2022
Romer- Feb 2022
Ozinvestor - March 2022
Aiming_4_55 - March 2022
Dean56 - March 2022
Pompanobeach - April 2022
fassmac - April 2022
Goingcamping - April 2022
ejw93 - April 2022
Present Aside - April 2022
YVRRocketSurgery - April 2022
mmurphy111 - April 2022
cynicalbuthopeful - 1 May 2022
Jeffman52 - May 2022
GTP2022 - May 2022
Jim59 - 6 May 2022
nhcycling - June 2022
plex - June 2022
beernutzbob - June 2022
retire48in2018 - June 2022
Physics Guy - June 2022
Poopycat - June 2022
ImThinkin2019 June 2022
Sean Pizzle - June 2022
David3 - June 2022
Mrs & Mr Bustergordon - 30 June
Silent Walker - July 2022
CaliKid - September 2022
BGH1 - September 2022
firemediceric - October 2022
mountainsoft - December 2022
Panda Bear - XX 2022
Sam Cro - XX 2022
Dreams of Freedom - XX 2022
Callitaday - XX 2022
dd564 - XX 2022
Chris Texas - XX 2022
Bee4 - XX 2022
cyber888 - XX 2022
ecowtent-XX 2022
ExPatKiwi - XX 2022

 

[Jim59]

Congrats. Have you found any EV campervans worth mentioning? Have you thought of outfitting one of the many EV trucks on the horizon?

There are no EV Campervans on the market as yet. I envisage many issues, not least range, charging points and payload. I think it will be a diesel for me. Time has run out for fitting one put my self, I should have done it a few years ago. DW wants one off the shelf or even a good one up to 3 years old. The search continues.

 

[ExPatKiwi]

Updated.

roady-runner - Jan 2022
dadu007- - Jan 2022
oldmedic - Jan 2022
caninelover - Jan 2022
Escapevelocity - Feb 2022
kaudrey - Feb 2022
Romer- Feb 2022
Ozinvestor - March 2022
Aiming_4_55 - March 2022
Dean56 - March 2022
Pompanobeach - April 2022
fassmac - April 2022
Goingcamping - April 2022
ejw93 - April 2022
Present Aside - April 2022
YVRRocketSurgery - April 2022
mmurphy111 - April 2022
cynicalbuthopeful - 1 May 2022
Jeffman52 - May 2022
GTP2022 - May 2022
Jim59 - 6 May 2022
nhcycling - June 2022
plex - June 2022
beernutzbob - June 2022
retire48in2018 - June 2022
Physics Guy - June 2022
Poopycat - June 2022
ImThinkin2019 June 2022
Sean Pizzle - June 2022
David3 - June 2022
Mrs & Mr Bustergordon - 30 June
Silent Walker - July 2022
CaliKid - September 2022
BGH1 - September 2022
firemediceric - October 2022
mountainsoft - December 2022
Panda Bear - XX 2022
Sam Cro - XX 2022
Dreams of Freedom - XX 2022
Callitaday - XX 2022
dd564 - XX 2022
Chris Texas - XX 2022
Bee4 - XX 2022
cyber888 - XX 2022
ecowtent-XX 2022
ExPatKiwi - December 2022